A controlled droplet application (CDA) nozzle operates on a completely different principle than conventional hydraulic nozzles. CDA nozzles deposit liquid fluid to be applied on the inside of a spinning cone. The inside of the cone may be lined with ridges traveling from the narrow end of the cone to the wide end. These ridges help impart rotational energy to the liquid fluid, spinning it faster. The ends of the ridges are used to shear the flowing liquid into droplets. As the CDA cone spins faster, the smaller droplets get sheared and released from the end of the ridges, which enables the spectrum of droplet sizes to be controlled by adjusting the speed of the CDA cone.